US Department of Defense embracing electric military vehicles using GM’s Ultium Platform
Tactical military vehicles are about to get an electric upgrade. GM Defense, a business unit of General Motors focusing on advanced defense mobility needs, was selected by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to develop a battery pack that can be used for functional electric military vehicles.
The need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and transition to clean energy alternatives is becoming more evident as unpredictable weather events, including extreme heat, droughts, floods, hurricanes, etc., continue to intensify across the globe.
When these events happen, it directly affects the Department of Defense, which includes the US Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force. The government agency is tasked with providing national security, including from the results of climate change.
Former US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel called climate change a “threat multiplayer” as it can “exacerbate” other issues, such as infectious diseases that can impact operations.
The Department of Defense looked at how climate change has impacted its department so far, giving several examples of why something needs to be done. For example:
- Hurricane Michael, a category five hurricane, destroyed at least half of the buildings at Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City, Florida.
- Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, the world’s largest naval base, is threatened by rising ocean levels. Since the 1920s, water in the bay has increased by around a foot and a half, and during high tide, the water almost breaches containment walls.
- The Missouri River flood in 2019 swallowed up about a third of the US Strategic Command base at the Offutt Air Force in Nebraska, costing over $500 million.
These are just a few recent examples of how climate change has impacted the DOD. As a result, the Agency devised an action plan, including a climate strategy for each of its divisions, the US Army, Navy, and Air Force.
One of the primary focuses of the campaign is introducing functional military electric vehicles. The Defense Innovation Unit, a division of the DOD aimed at accelerating advanced technology use throughout the military, announced Thursday it had chosen GM’s Ultium Platform to test and analyze for tactical electric vehicles.
DOD testing GMs Ultium Platform for electric military vehicles
The DOD released a Climate Adaptation Progress Report, labeling climate change as a “national security issue.” The Agency says its military departments are “taking bold steps to accelerate climate adaption,” including using military electric vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In July, the US Army selected GM defense to demonstrate an electric vehicle for the military, so it provided the GMC Hummer EV pickup.
The Agency is now moving forward with its strategy, awarding GM Defense to build a heavy-duty battery pack to power electric military vehicles in its fight against climate change. GM Defense president, Steve DuMont, states:
Commercial battery electric technologies continue to mature. GM Defense offers a unique advantage with our ability to leverage proven commercial capabilities and the billions in GM investments in electric vehicle and autonomous vehicle technologies in order to help provide our customers with the most advanced capabilities the commercial market can offer.
GM says it will use its advanced Ultium Platform – its electric vehicle architecture – to meet the standards.
GM believes the Ultium Platform can “deliver power, range, and scale beyond and previous GM hybrid or extended range EV.” The EV platform is scalable, with battery options ranging from 50 kWh to over 200 kWh and space for up to 24 modules.
The automaker’s scalable EV platform allows modules to lay flat (for performance vehicles) or vertical for heavy-duty EVs, making it a good choice for US electric military vehicles.
Electrek’s Take
Electric vehicles taking over the battlefield is only a matter of time. As battery technology like GM’s Ultium Platform advances, it enables longer travel distances, more power, and better performance.
Most importantly, electric vehicles are quieter, more powerful, can accelerate faster, and are technologically superior, making them the perfect choice for the military.
The US Army and Navy are aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050, while the Air Force is committing to 2046. Electric vehicles will likely play a critical role in the military as they look to achieve these objectives.
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America’s best-selling electric pickup may be headed for the chopping block. According to sources, Ford is now considering killing off the F-150 Lightning.
Is Ford canceling the F-150 Lightning electric pickup?
After Ford halted production of the electric pickup at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, earlier this year, it may never return to the assembly line.
Ford announced during its third-quarter earnings that F-150 Lightning production would remain paused after a fire at Novelis’ plant in New York disrupted aluminum supply.
The company said it would focus on gas and hybrid trucks, which are more profitable and require less aluminum.
According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, Ford’s electric pickup may be as good as dead. Citing sources close to the matter, the WSJ report claims Ford is now considering scrapping the F-150 Lightning altogether.
The move comes after Ford’s electric vehicle business, Model e, lost another $1.4 billion in Q3. Ford’s EV unit has now lost $3.6 billion through the first nine months of 2025.
Around $3 billion of the loss is due to its current EVs, such as the F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E. The other $600 million is for investments in next-gen electric models.
Ford is shifting to smaller, more affordable electric cars with its Universal EV platform. The flexible, low-cost platform is key to unlocking more affordable EVs, which will start at around $30,000.
The first vehicle on the platform is expected to be a midsize electric pickup, similar in size to the Ford Maverick or Ranger. It’s set to roll out sometime in 2027.
CEO Jim Farley said during the company’s Q3 earnings call that $30,000 EVs are “not a distant plan,” adding they are “right around the corner” at Ford.
The F-150 Lightning is still America’s best-selling electric pickup, after Ford sold a record 10,000+ in Q3. Through October, Ford sold 24,577 F-150 Lightnings, slightly less than the 24,670 sold during the same period in 2024.
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In the spirit of SEMA week, Stellantis’ Chinese EV brand Leapmotor is getting some tuner cred from the German performance experts at Irmscher, delivering a 590 hp compact EV that should play well in both the Asian and European street scenes.
European regulators may be slapping heavier tariffs on Chinese EVs in an attempt to slow them down, but automakers like Stellantis-owned Leapmotor finding new ways to build momentum. The latest proof of that is a new, limited-edition Leapmotor i C10 SUV that was developed in and for the Chinese market, but that’s had its edge sharpened up for European roads through a partnership with German tuner Irmscher.
It’s another clear signal that Chinese brands are ready to play the long game in Europe, and they’re doing it by appealing directly to the continent’s performance heritage and partnering with known and respected brands.
The first results of what is being called a long-term partnership is the Leapmotor i C10 by Irmscher, a limited run, 250 unit sports crossover built for the German market — and, with nearly six hundred hp on tap, the German autobahn, too!
The Irmscher version of the i C10 features a more prominent rear spoiler and a new set of five-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in low-profile, high-performance rubber, sure, but the real magic lies beneath the car’s skin.
Irmscher has fitted a firmer suspension setup specifically engineered to sharpen the SUV’s handling, making it more suited to the Leapmotor’s already potent, dual-motor AWD powertrain. That powertrain remains largely unchanged, offering a hefty 590 hp (440 kW) for a zippy 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprints in under 4 seconds.
Built to move
The electric motors get power from an 81.9 kWh li-ion battery pack, good for an estimated range of 437 km (272 miles), positioning it as a performance-oriented variant of the standard crossover rather than a long-distance tourer (and, yes, I know what “GT” stands for, I’m just choosing to ignore the baked-in irony).
Priced from €49,900 in Germany (about $57,600 US, as I type this), the Irmscher i C10 commands a €5,000 premium over the standard flagship C10, but the pricing strategy is just as calculated as the Irmscher partnership itself.
By pricing the car well into Mercedes and BMW territory, Stellantis is showing that its Chinese-developed EVs aren’t just competing on cost alone. So, while the tariffs aim to protect the European car brands in their home markets by raising their prices, Leapmotor and Irmscher are betting that European drivers will willingly pay more for a Chinese EV that delivers authentic performance.
Take a look at the photos provided, below, and let us know what you think of Leapmotor’s chances in the comments.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Stellantis; via CarScoops.
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Canadian heavy equipment dealer Nors and Volvo CE are kicking off the season of giving early, handing over the keys to a brand-new Volvo L25 Electric compact wheel loader to Habitat for Humanity!
Volvo CE’s donation to Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area (Habitat GTA) marks the nonprofit’s first-ever electric construction machine. The asset will be put to work immediately on a 30-home affordable housing project in Brampton as a quiet, zero-emission alternative to diesel for the site’s preparation.
For the volunteers and staff at Habitat GTA, that fantasy of a quiet, fume-free job site is now a reality. “Much of our equipment is older than some of our volunteers” admitted Ene Underwood, CEO of Habitat GTA. This makes the electric Volvo loader a massive leap forward for the volunteers, proving that electric machines are ready to do real work right now, even for organizations operating on tight budgets — but you shouldn’t mistake the decision as pure charity.
The L25 Electric donation is just an opening salvo for Nors’ new “Compact Solutions, Community Impact” marketing campaign, and the company has already committed to donating two more Volvo CE electric machines to worthy organizations across Canada. “We’re … helping build a better world for future generations,” said Paul George of Nors.
It’s a smart PR play, for sure, but it’s also a powerful, real-world demonstration program that puts its money where its mouth is and directly tackles the, “but I’ve never seen one!” barrier to battery electric equipment adoption.
As far as equipment goes, the Volvo L25 Electric is perfect for the infill development and residential lots where Habitat builds. As Agako Nouch of Volvo CE pointed out, the loader eliminates the noise and air quality issues that are major headaches when building in existing neighborhoods. It’s an example of how electrification can fundamentally improve the relationship between construction sites and the communities they serve.
Nors is inviting Canadians to nominate other nonprofits or municipalities that could benefit from an electric excavator or wheel loader. It’s a public consultation, not a contest, and the final two recipients will be announced on December 16th. It’s a genuine chance to put more electric iron to work where it can do the most good.
Electrek’s Take
A new, turbocharged section 179 in the US tax code means it’s a great time to buy some electric equipment assets for your construction fleet, and with these Volvo wheel loaders proving themselves day in and day out on job sites like these, in the cold AND heat of Toronto, you can be sure they’ll do your job, wherever that is.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Volvo CE.
If you drive an electric vehicle, make charging at home fast, safe, and convenient with a Level 2 charger installed by Qmerit. As the nation’s most trusted EV charger installation network, Qmerit connects you with licensed, background-checked electricians who specialize in EV charging. You’ll get a quick online estimate, upfront pricing, and installation backed by Qmerit’s nationwide quality guarantee. Their pros follow the highest safety standards so you can plug in at home with total peace of mind.
Ready to charge smarter? Get started today with Qmerit (trusted affiliate).
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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